I think you should try just cleaning with water (not wipes) for a while and see if that makes a difference.

In addition to the above, hit the area with the blow dryer after you shower. I find it helps to start the day as dry as possible.

I have had the same problem since delivering my baby (scheduled c-section so I did not labor). In particular I was having pain and some bleeding after exercise, as well as "mud butt" generally. I saw a colon specialist who looked around and didn't find any noteworthy hemmorhoids; saw a second specialist who thought I had a muscle spasm and gave me a topical painkiller to take for a month or so. That did help and I no longer have pain/bleeding.

I still do itch after bowel movements. Showering is the only real fix although a sitz bath can help and the doc recommended wipes. I just bought a bidet seat and am waiting to install it. I eat a pretty high fiber diet already.

OP, I had the same problem for several years and nothing I tried helped… Until I stopped obsessively using wipes. It seems that the wipes themselves were causing it. Lay off the wipes for a few days and I bet it will get better.

Anonymous wrote:OK OP-- I'll share with you (ALL!!) that I had this problem for a while. We had been heavy "wipes" consumers in my family, but I read an article that suggested that some people might actually find wipes quite irritating. I didn't think this could be me, since my skin isn't generally sensitive, but I thought I'd try laying off the wipes for a week. Lo and behold, my little problem magically went away!

My family has also been through pinworms. If you have a child in daycare (mine was in Kindergarten when we were afflicted), that's quite possible.

Glad you solved the problem, OP.

For the other issues of not getting clean, you may want to try seeing a urogynocologist and see if you have prolapse.

Sits baths are also good.

Wash your butt with warm water after you poop.

Bump- is this really a thing post-baby?? I have had major itching since my now 18-mo-old DS was 5 mos old. OB not concerned. Of course, googling and reading about anal cancer does not help...

be careful with the prep h creams - this can exacerbate the problem if used too frequently.

I had same issue after DD. You know what worked? Using DD's diaper cream on my butt at night! Also, gently cleaning with handheld shower.

Had issues for 1-2 years after birth. Now, 4 years later, still need to be way more "careful" than I ever was pre-DD but never any itching/pain. My drs were equally unhelpful BTW.

I think you need to see another doctor. The one you have is not helping. No one should have to go thru this. I had a freind with this problem, the doc fixed the problem -- she told me but I don't remember. Good luck and I am sorry!!

Itching and pain be gone! I found a solution to Anal Itch in the Bathroom Bidet Sprayers they use in Thailand. Every doctor will tell you that you need to clean but the key is you need to do it without irritating the skin. Difficult to accomplish when you have an itch that is just begging to be scratched. But cleaning with a water spray does just that and it is easy, convenient and no one need know what you are using it for. Toilet paper irritates the skin and the more you rub, the more you itch. I bought mine at http://www.bathroomsprayers.com and installed it myself. [http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SX0ihULEMLY/UKrviKbI6kI/AAAAAAAAAKM/SdvE164lcOQ/s320/DSCN9921.jpg ]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dry gauze or cotton ball at anus opening (not inside!) works like a charm. Advice from a colo-rectal surgeon (not me).

How does this work? It keeps one cheek side from rubbing the other side?

i think it's supposed to absorb moisture, which exacerbates itchiness.


change gauze often.

Anonymous wrote:Dry gauze or cotton ball at anus opening (not inside!) works like a charm. Advice from a colo-rectal surgeon (not me).

How does this work? It keeps one cheek side from rubbing the other side?

Anonymous wrote:Go to a gasrtointerlogist Dr Barone In Dady grovw. He helped fix me up xxxx

what did Dr Barone do for you?

OP here. Thanks all for your kind posts and attention to such an unpleasant topic. Am posting a f/u for any other moms who have this.

I think I have an anal fissure or hemorrhoid. Hot soaks (as hot as I can stand it) three times a day make a world of difference. I follow it with some triple paste diaper cream.

It's not a cure, but it helps a lot. I still don't know the exact cause, but it seems like this is a nuisance more than a real health problem.

Anal fissures do, in fact, itch:

http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/tc/anal-fissure-topic-overview

Also, "childbirth can also cause trauma to the anal canal."